Thailand

Since 2003, we have supported partners across Thailand in defending their rights and highlighting their contributions to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. Recently, our efforts have focused on the Transformative Pathways Project (link to the website), where we assist partners in developing community-based models for sustainable biodiversity governance and management, integrating traditional knowledge with innovative agroecological practices.

Partners

• Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT)
• Pga k’nyau Association for Sustainable Development (PASD)
• Indigenous Peoples’ Foundation for Education and Environment (IPF)

Country Overview:

Thailand, a nation rich in natural diversity and cultural heritage, is one of the most significant regions on the planet in terms of species diversity and endemism, hosting vast expanses of lush forests that cover approximately one-third of its territory. These forests are crucial for ecological balance and are home to numerous Indigenous communities. These communities, deeply intertwined with the forests and agroecosystems, have historically played a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing Thailand's unique biological and cultural diversity.

However, these invaluable forest areas and their inhabitants are increasingly under threat. The threats include  the expansion of   chemical-based mono-crop agriculture, and conservation practices that fail to respect Indigenous and local knowledge and governance,  disrupting the delicate social-ecological balance and posing severe challenges to the Indigenous communities.. A root cause of these threats and challenges is the lack of recognition and socio-political marginalisation of forest-dependent communities.

Main Activities:

• Supporting partners in recognising forest peoples’ customary and territorial rights.
• Assisting communities in monitoring, protecting, and safeguarding their territories against various threats.
• Documenting customary sustainable uses of natural resources, and revitalising them through inter-generational transmission of traditional knowledge and community-based innovations.
• Supporting community-based initiatives to enhance local economies,  particularly through innovative approaches and actions by women and youth groups. and strengthen autonomous territorial self-governments, enabling indigenous peoples to decide their future.
• Strengthening their participation in national and sub-national policy and legal processes.
• Helping local communities offer education opportunities and practice Indigenous life skills through initiatives such as the Transformative Pathways Project, Indigenous Navigator, and ILED.

Current work:

• Transformative Pathways Project.
• Indigenous Led Network (ILED)
• Indigenous Navigator
• Conservation Pathways Project